षष्टिर्नागसहस्राणि दशान्यानि च भारत । युधिष्ठिरस्य यान्यासन्युधि सेना महात्मनः
Sixty thousand elephants, and ten thousand more, O Bharata, were present in the army of the great-souled Yudhishthira.
क्षरन्त इव जीमूताः प्रभिन्नकरटामुखाः । राजानमन्वयुः पश्चाच्चलन्त इव पर्वताः
With mouths like broken clouds, as if pouring forth, they followed the king from behind, moving like mountains.
एवं तस्य बलं भीमं कुन्तीपुत्रस्य धीमतः । यदाश्रित्याथ युयुधे धार्तराष्ट्रं सुयोधनम्
Thus was the formidable army of the wise son of Kunti, by which he fought against Suyodhana, son of Dhritarashtra.
ततोऽन्ये शतशः पश्चात्सहस्रायुतशो नराः। नर्दन्तः प्रययुस्तेषाणनीकानि सहस्रशः
Then, hundreds and thousands, and tens of thousands of other men, roaring, advanced; their divisions were in the thousands.
तत्र भेरीसहस्राणि शङ्खानामयुतानि च । न्यवादयन्त संहृष्टाः सहस्रायुतशो नराः
There, thousands of drums and tens of thousands of conches were sounded joyfully by men in their thousands and tens of thousands.
ततः पूर्वापरे सैन्ये समीक्ष्य भगवानृषिः। सर्ववेदविदां श्रेष्ठो व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः
Then, observing both armies, the venerable sage Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī, foremost knower of all the Vedas, spoke.
भविष्यति रणे घोरे भरतानां पितामहः । प्रत्यक्षदर्शी भगवान्भूतभव्यभविष्यवित्
He, the divine seer who knows the past, present, and future, saw that Bhīṣma, the grandsire of the Bharatas, would fall in the terrible battle.
वैचित्रवीर्यं राजानं रहस्स्थमिदमब्रवीत् । शोचन्तमार्तं ध्यायन्तं पुत्राणामनयं तदा
He spoke these words in secret to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, son of Vicitravīrya, who was grieving, afflicted, and reflecting on the misfortune of his sons.
राजन्परिकालास्ते पुत्राश्चान्ये च पार्थिवाः। ते हिंसन्तीव सङ्ग्रामे समासाद्येतरेतरम्
O King, your sons and other princes have reached their destined end; in battle, they are harming each other as if driven by fate.
तेषु कालपरीतेषु विनश्यत्स्वेव भारत । कालपर्यायमाहाय मा स्म शोके मनः कृथा
As these, overtaken by time, are perishing, O Bhārata, do not let your mind be consumed by sorrow, having understood the course of time.
यदि चेच्छसि संग्रामं द्रुष्टुमेनं विशांपते । चक्षुर्ददानि ते पुत्र युद्धमेतन्निशामया
If you wish to see this battle, O lord of men, I will grant you sight; behold your sons' war.
न रोचये ज्ञातिवधं द्रष्टुं ब्रह्मर्षिसत्तम
O best of Brahmarṣis, I do not wish to witness the slaughter of my kinsmen.
तस्मिन्ननिच्छति द्रष्टुं संग्रामं श्रोतुमिच्छति। वराणामीश्वरो व्यासः संजयाय वरं ददौ
Since he did not wish to see the battle but wanted to hear of it, Vyāsa, lord of boons, granted a boon to Saṃjaya.
एष ते संजयो राजन्युद्धमेतद्वदिष्यति। एतस्य सर्वं संग्रामे न परोक्षं भविष्यति
This Saṃjaya will recount this battle to you, O King; for him, nothing in the battle will be hidden.
चक्षुषा संजयो राजन्दिव्येनैव समन्वितः । कथयिष्यति ते युद्धं सर्वज्ञश्च भविष्यति
Endowed with divine vision, Saṃjaya will describe the battle to you, O King, and he will know everything.
प्रकाशं वाऽप्रकाशं वा दिवा वा यदि वा निशि । मनसा चिन्तितमपि सर्वं वेत्स्यति संजयः
Whether openly or secretly, by day or by night, even what is thought in the mind—Saṃjaya will know it all.
नैनं शस्त्राणि भेत्स्यन्ति नैनं बाधिष्यते श्रमः । गावल्गणिरयं जीवन्युद्धादस्माद्विमोक्ष्यते
Weapons will not harm him, nor will fatigue trouble him; this Gāvalgaṇa will survive the war unharmed.
अहं तु कीर्तिमेतेषां करूणां भरतर्षभ । पाण्डवानां च सर्वेषां प्रथयिष्यामि मा शुचः
But I myself, O bull among the Bharatas, will proclaim the fame of these great ones, both the Pāṇḍavas and all the others; do not grieve.
दिष्टमेतन्नरव्याघ्र नाभिशोचितुमर्हसि । न चैव शक्यं संयन्तुं यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः
This is fate, O tiger among men; you should not lament. Indeed, victory is where righteousness is.
एवमुक्त्वा स भगवान्कुरूणां प्रतितामहः । पुनरेव महाभागो धृतराष्ट्रमुवाच ह
Having spoken thus, the venerable grandsire of the Kurus again addressed Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the illustrious king.
इह युद्धे महाराज भविष्यति महान्क्षयः । तथेह च निमित्तानि भयदान्युपलक्षये
In this war, O great king, there will be immense destruction; and here I observe many omens that bring fear.
श्येना गृध्राश्च काकाश्च काङ्काश्च सहिता बकैः । संपतन्ति ध्वजाग्रेषु समवायांश्च कुर्वते
Vultures, kites, crows, and cranes together with herons are swooping down upon the banners and gathering there.
अभ्यग्रं च प्रपश्यन्ति युद्धमानन्दिनो द्विजाः । क्रव्यादा भक्षयिष्यन्ति मांसानि गजवाजिनां
The twice-born, delighted, eagerly watch the battle; flesh-eating creatures will devour the flesh of elephants and horses.
कटाकटेति वाशन्तो भैरवा भयवेदिनः । कङ्काः क्रोशन्ति मध्याह्ने दक्षिणामभितो दिशं
The dreadful, fearsome cries of jackals echo 'kaṭākaṭa'; herons wail at midday toward the southern direction.
उभे पूर्वापरे सन्ध्ये नित्यं पश्यामि भारत । उदयास्तमने सूर्यं कबन्धैः परिवारितम्
O Bhārata, at both dawn and dusk I always see the sun at its rising and setting surrounded by headless bodies.
श्वेतलोहितपर्यन्ताः कृष्णाग्रीवाः सविद्युतः । त्रिवर्णाः परिघाः सन्धौ भानुमावारयन्त्युत
White and red at the edges, with black necks and streaks of lightning, three-colored halos at the horizon obscure the sun.
ज्वलितार्के .......त्रं निर्विशेषदिनक्षपम् । चन्द्रोऽभूतग्निवर्णश्च पद्मवर्णे नभस्तले
When the blazing sun... the distinction between day and night vanishes; the moon appears fiery in color, like a lotus in the sky.
आलक्षे प्रभया हीनां पौर्णमासीं च कीर्तिकीम् । चन्द्रोऽभूदग्निवर्णश्च पद्मवर्णे नभस्तले
I observe the full moon, famed for its radiance, deprived of its light; the moon appears fiery in color, like a lotus in the sky.
स्वप्स्यन्ति निहता वीरा भूमिमावृत्य पार्थिवाः । राजानो राजपुत्राश्च शूराः परिघबाहवः
The slain heroes, kings, princes, and mighty warriors with arms like iron bars will sleep, covering the earth.
अन्तरिक्षे वराहस्य पृषदंशकस्य चोभयोः। प्रणादं युध्यतो रात्रौ रौद्रं नित्यं प्रलक्षये
In the sky, I constantly observe at night the dreadful roar of both the boar and the jackal as they fight.